Bill > HB705

This bill proposes several significant changes to Kentucky law regarding protective orders, child custody, and civil litigation. The bill expands the definitions of domestic violence and dating violence to include broader patterns of physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, and technological actions used to gain power and control. It removes the previous presumption in favor of joint custody and equal parenting time in child custody cases, instead requiring courts to construct parenting time schedules that prioritize the child's welfare. The bill also introduces a new framework for addressing what it calls "abusive civil actions," allowing courts to dismiss civil lawsuits that are deemed to be harassing or malicious, impose filing restrictions on plaintiffs, and award attorney's fees to defendants. Additionally, the bill requires the Court of Justice to create protocols to help law enforcement officers assist victims in filing protective orders and expands the ways victims can file such orders, including through regional rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters. The legislation aims to provide more comprehensive protections for victims of domestic violence and prevent potential legal harassment, giving courts more discretion in handling sensitive personal and family law matters.

Justice

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/25RS/hb705.html